Elementary School Blog

Education at Library Reference Search

2005-02-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

Education at Library Reference Search. I stumbled upon a really good Web directory that has a lot of sites. Many of these relate to the elementary school!

Here are some categories to check out:

Elementary Education
Early Childhood Education
Children's Literature
Rowling, J. K.
Lesson Plans

Have fun browsing.

Presidential Speeches

2005-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Presidential Speeches. President Bush has been giving official speeches lately. The recent Inaugural and State of the Union have attracted the attention of some of my students. Here are pages with the text of the speeches:

Second Inaugural Address of George W. Bush
2005 State of the Union Address

Groundhog .org

2005-02-02T04:51:00.000-08:00

Groundhog .org. This is the Official Site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. This is the most minor of holidays but it always gets attention from my students. This is a good place to refer them towards.

From the site:

Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.

There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 119 years!

Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking "groundhog punch," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.

On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.

The Improving Literacy through School Libraries Program of "No Child Left Behind": Tips for Writing a Winning Grant Proposal

2005-01-26T04:57:00.000-08:00

The Improving Literacy through School Libraries Program of "No Child Left Behind": Tips for Writing a Winning Grant Proposal. Use NCLB to get free money for you school library! Details below.

From the site:

It is essential that potential applicants understand the program elements and assemble a coalition and proposal strong enough to gain the reviewers' attention and support student achievement. Grant writing is often misunderstood as a combination of luck, prescience, and alchemy. But, often, the secret to writing effective proposals is to learn how to present needs in the grantor's structure. Elements should be addressed in a logical order and presented in the requested sequence. Deeper knowledge of this program's evaluation criteria will result in proposals that reflect an appropriate mixture of clarity and purpose. Remember the most important question for you proposal to answer is, "Does it improve student reading literacy?"

A Study of Bilingual Chinese/English Children's Code Switching Behavior

2005-01-21T04:55:00.000-08:00

A Study of Bilingual Chinese/English Children's Code Switching Behavior. This is an interesting article for those of you who deal with bilingual students. It is from Academic Exchange Quarterly.

From the site:

This paper reports the findings from a study that explores young Chinese/English bilingual children’s code switching behavior in a Chinese language program. In particular, it describes one bilingual child’s patterns of language use. The findings suggest that code switching was used as a communicative device by the children in the study. They switched languages during their speech in order to realize social function, pragmatic function, and meta-linguistic function. Educational implications are also provided.

White House Kids

2005-01-16T04:45:00.000-08:00

White House Kids. Provides educational information geared for children about the President, the White House, and the President's pets and animals, Spotty, Barney, and India.

From the site:

America's presidents have represented many states, held different occupations and faced difficult challenges. However, each president answered the same call--the call to serve the American people. As you learn about the presidents, think about ways you can serve your neighbor, community or country today.

Flash Card Math

2005-01-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

Flash Card Math - A learning tool which teaches the multiplication table and simple division to elementary school students. Free to schools. Free printable flash cards and math worksheets.

From the site:

Flash Card Math is an interactive educational software program designed to teach first grade, second grade, third grade and fourth grade students in elementary school addition, subtraction, the multiplication table and simple division. Flash Card Math utilizes the proven Flash Card method of teaching primary mathematics and arithmetic. It is a learning tool which will provide children with an important part of the foundation necessary to succeed in mathematics throughout their elementary school years and through life. Additionally, with a click of a mouse, Flash Card Math develops customized multiplication and division worksheets and flashcards for teacher's use in the class room or parent's use with their children at home. Eligible schools, upon request, may receive FREE Animated FlashCards and Worksheet Generator Software.

Tsunami Information

2005-01-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

Tsunami Information. Ok, I am back to work and will try to keep this blog current again. The disaster in Asia is big news with my students. Several of the teachers here are using this as a teaching moment about the people of Asia. Here are some good Web resources I have been refering my student towards:

Tsunami - This is a general tsunami resource page with links all over the Web from the University of Washington.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - This is the Wikipedia article on the event.

Tsunami Relief - This is a good Google page showing good organizations which are collecting to help the suffering in Asia.

History of Asia - Offers a history of every nation in Asia including many that were hit by the tsunami. This has good background information for learning about India or Sri Lanka for example.

Not Well

2004-12-15T06:19:00.000-08:00

Not Well. I apologize for the lack of blog posts lately. I have been seriously ill and have fallen behind. I hope to get back into the swin gof things in 2005! It is so hard to focus on doing a blog when I can barely get out of bed.

No Child Left Behind: Testing, Reporting, and Accountability. ERIC Digest.

2004-11-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

No Child Left Behind: Testing, Reporting, and Accountability. ERIC Digest. This is a good article on NCLB testing. I like the general idea of No Child Left Behind but don't you think that the government should fund this?

From the site:

In a major expansion of the federal role in education, the NoChild Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires annual testing, specifies a method for judging school effectiveness, sets a timeline forprogress, and establishes specific consequences in the case of failure. As the use of standardized testing to measure school accountability has expanded, so has the list of arguments for excusing the low achievement of whole categories of students. While special education law provides for testing with “accommodations,” in practice it has pushed educators to focus more on procedural compliance. The achievement of language-minority students has often been overlooked or mismeasured as school districts lacked the skill or will to administer appropriate assessments.

This digest reviews how testing and reporting requirements will operate with respect to different groups of students and examines factors that could delay or dilute the guarantee of educational accountability in the academic achievement of all children.

George W. Bush

2004-11-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

George W. Bush. Well, Bush won. I voted for Kerry but as a Texan I am happy the President came through. I don't like his politics but he is a good man. Here is a nice resource to point students towards for Bush information.

From the site:

George Walker Bush (born July 6 , 1946 ) is the 43rd and current President of the United States , succeeding Bill Clinton in 2001 . He was first elected President in 2000 and his term began in January 2001. He was re-elected in November 2004 and his second term will expire in 2009.

Bush was the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000 and is a lifelong Republican .

In 1978 Bush ran for the House of Representatives and was defeated by the Democratic State Senator Kent Hance .

Bush began his career in the oil industry in 1979 when he began active operations of Arbusto Energy , an oil and gas exploration company he formed in 1977 with leftover funds from his education trust fund. The oil crisis of the late '70s hurt Arbusto Energy and, after a name change to Bush Exploration Co., Bush sold the company in 1984 to Spectrum 7, another Texas oil and gas exploration firm. Under the terms of the sale, Bush became CEO of Spectrum 7. History was repeated as the oil crisis of 1985-1986 bankrupted Spectrum 7. Spectrum 7 was subsequently saved by a buyout from Harken Energy Corp in 1986 with Bush becoming a director of Harken.

Bush was accused of using insider knowledge when selling stock while serving on the board of directors of Harken Energy Corp. in 1990 . After his sale of the stock, Harken reported a $23.2 million quarterly loss. An SEC investigation, alleged to be influenced by the fact Bush's father was President of the United States, declared "the investigation has been terminated as to the conduct of Mr. Bush, and that, at this time, no enforcement action is contemplated with respect to him." but noted that this did not mean that he was exonerated on that future charges might not brought. No further action has resulted, despite the fact that Bill Clinton, of the opposing political party, had been President for eight years between the administration of Bush and his father. As President, Bush has refused to authorize the SEC to release its full report on the investigation.

CONSTELLATIONS

2004-11-01T06:24:00.000-08:00

CONSTELLATIONS. This is an interesting astronomy lesson plan for elementary school students.

From the site:

OVERVIEW: Astronomy provides practice in those skill that areprerequisite to the scientists of tomorrow: observation,graphing, recording, and predicting. Basic to many astronomicalobservations are the North Polar Constellations. The followingactivities provide our young scientists with success-orientedpractice in locating and recognizing these stars in the sky.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the following activities is to strengthenthe skills of visual perception, observation, and recording byusing repetition of visual bulletin board displays of the NorthPolar Constellations and graphing those star patterns.

You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving

2004-10-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving. This is a fun site that allows students to look at Thanksgiving from a first-hand perspective. It is a well done site that literally reaches out and devours the whole computer screen!

From the site:

Over the last several years, experts at Plimoth Plantation have done a lot of research and thinking about the event that is commonly called “The First Thanksgiving.” We were surprised at what we learned! We are sharing our new-found knowledge through a special Thanksgiving exhibition at Plimoth Plantation (Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth, and Meaning), two children’s books, the You Are the Historian online learning center (see below), and this teacher’s guide.

We are proud of these products, and also of the process that led to their creation. True to the mission of Plimoth Plantation, these products explore the events of 1621 from the perspectives of both the Wampanoag and the English colonists. This could not have been done without the collaboration of a broad team of people, including members of the Wampanoag community, teachers, historians, and Plimoth Plantation staff.

Good luck with your investigation! We hope that you and your students enjoy using this guide, and that you begin to look at Thanksgiving in a whole new way.

Newbery Medal

2004-10-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

Newbery Medal. Here is the Wikinfo encyclopedia entry for this important award!

From the site:

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association (ALA) to the author of the most outstanding book for children. The award, which is named after an eighteen-century British bookseller, has been given since 1922. Together with the Caldecott Medal, it is considered the most prestigious award for children's literature in the United States.

Recipients of the Newbery Medal are:

1922 Hendrik Willem van Loon, The Story of Mankind
1923 Hugh Lofting, The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle
1924 Charles Hawes, The Dark Frigate
1925 Charles Finger, Tales from Silver Lands
1926 Arthur Bowie Chrisman, Shen of the Sea
1927 Will James, Smoky the Cow Horse
1928 Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Gayneck, the Story of a Pigeon

History of Iraq

2004-10-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

History of Iraq. Not surprisingly, many of my students are looking up information on Iraq now. Most of our libarry books are dated so I am finding the Web the best resource. This site is pretty good.

From the site:

Once known as Mesopotamia, Iraq was the site of flourishing ancient civilizations, including the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Parthian cultures. Muslims conquered Iraq in the seventh century A.D. In the eighth century, the Abassid caliphate established its capital at Baghdad, which became a frontier outpost on the Ottoman Empire.

At the end of World War I, Iraq became a British-mandated territory. When it was declared independent in 1932, the Hashemite family, which also ruled Jordan, ruled as a constitutional monarchy. In 1945, Iraq joined the United Nations and became a founding member of the Arab League. In 1956, the Baghdad Pact allied Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, and established its headquarters in Baghdad.

Gen. Abdul Karim Qasim took power in July 1958 coup, during which King Faysal II and Prime Minister Nuri as-Said were killed. Qasim ended Iraq's membership in the Baghdad Pact in 1959. Qasim was assassinated in February 1963, when the Arab Socialist Renaissance Party (Ba'ath Party) took power under the leadership of Gen. Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr as prime minister and Col. Abdul Salam Arif as president.

Education Next: A Journal of Opinion and Research

2004-10-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

Education Next: A Journal of Opinion and Research - Published by the Hoover Institution at Stanford and the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard. A forum on education policy and school reform that includes evidence-based original research, critiques of other research projects, and book reviews. Full text free online.

From the site:

In the stormy seas of school reform, this journal will steer a steady course, presenting the facts as best they can be determined, giving voice (without fear or favor) to worthy research, sound ideas, and responsible arguments. Bold change is needed in American K–12 education, but Education Next partakes of no program, campaign, or ideology. It goes where the evidence points.

Mrs. Smith's Second Grade

2004-10-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Smith's Second Grade - Site for a teacher at Thomas Merton Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. Has information and links for parents, kids and teachers. Examples of student work are also featured.

From the site:

School Tips for Parents:

1) Establish a family reading time. 15 minutes of reading does make a difference in your child's life. Children enjoy this special time. "Share a book with a child and share a moment of love."

2) Scale back TV time.

3) Make a plan for after-school activities. Schedule adequate time for homework, play, clubs, and family time.

4) Keep a large calendar. Mark each family member's activities in a different colored pen.

5) Collect important phone numbers. Update doctor, work and other listings for the school office, after-school care and one or two neighbors.

6) Have a backup plan. Find another parent who will exchange school pickup favors-in case you get sick or delayed by work or traffic.

7) Set up a file for school papers. Place all school newsletters, notes and papers in this file so you'll have them to refer back to for information.

8) Spruce up a study space for your child. Include pencils, crayons, a dictionary and other supplies.

9) Reestablish bed times for school nights.

10) Get children into the habit of getting ready the night before school. Set out clothes, pack lunch or lunch ticket, and put the backpack by the front door so you'll be ready for the next day.

Working With Young English Language Learners: Some Considerations

2004-10-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Working With Young English Language Learners: Some Considerations. This is another excellent ERIC Digest that deals with primary education. This one has ideas for helping elementary level students who come from homes where English is not the main language.

From the site:

In today’s preschool programs and primary school classrooms, teachers are working with an increasingly diverse population of young students, including many who come from homes where English is not spoken. According to Kindler (2002), English language learners (ELLs) now represent 9.6% of all students enrolled in public pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 classes in the United States; 67% of these students are enrolled at the elementary school level. The growth in enrollment of English language learners is not restricted to big cities and urban areas; in fact, states with large rural areas, such as Georgia, Montana, and Mississippi, have experienced sharp increases in the enrollment of ELLs in their public schools. Teachers in preschool and primary education programs all over the country may have English language learners in their classrooms. Unfortunately, many teachers are not provided with specialized training in how to meet the needs of ELLs (Menken & Atunez, 2001) and may have no prior experience in teaching young students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds.

This Digest provides general information on the characteristics of English language learners in U.S. preschool and primary school programs and describes learning conditions and instructional practices that are most effective for educating young ELLs.

Postcards from America

2004-10-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Postcards from America - Follows a teacher and a photographer as they travel across America. Also features fun facts, maps, and a "Just for Teachers" page with tips for using the postcards in the classroom.

From the site:

If you teach U.S. geography, or if you're an armchair traveler who wants to explore America without leaving your seat cushion--you've come to the right place. Hitch a ride in our virtual backseat as we tour the 50 states in our RV, "Harvey the RV," and share this exciting journey through the window of an electronic postcard.

Ken, a photographer and graphic designer, photographs and creates the Live-at-the-Scene postcards while Priscilla, a writer and former American history teacher, writes the accompanying captions, personal messages and trivia questions.

The Adventures of Echo the Bat

2004-10-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Adventures of Echo the Bat - Follow Echo the Bat through the eyes of a satellite as he migrates through Arizona. Topics include false color satellite imagery, how scientist use these images to study habitats, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Interactive adventure game and activities for the classroom. This is a fun site!

From the site:

In the upper elevations of Arizona, there was a forest of tall Ponderosa pine trees. The forest was covered with snow and the evenings were quiet as animals slept through the cold winter nights. When spring arrived, the snow melted and a colony of female bats made their home in a hollow pine tree to raise their young.

Unlike birds who hatch from eggs, bats are mammals. The mother bats will give birth to their young and feed them mother's milk. Because their pups are too young to fly and catch their food, Mother bats care for their pups during the first month.

As the warm days of spring led to summer, a baby bat was born. He had a tiny, furry body with awkward wings. His mother held him close to her and wrapped him in her wings. All day long, she could hear his chirping cry echo through the hollow tree. From that day on, his mother called him "Echo.".

Wikinfo - Harry Potter

2004-10-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

Wikinfo - Harry Potter. Harry Potter is big here with elementary school students in Texas. I have no doubt the books (and movies) are well received in your neck of the woods too. Here is an article about Harry Potter from the web encyclopedia Wikinfo.

From the site:

Harry James Potter is a fictional character and protagonist of a series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling the first of which was released in 1997. The books are primarily aimed at children, but have fans of all ages. There is a series of films based directly on the books, the first of which was released in 2001.

According to the author, the stories appeared in her head, fully formed, while she was on a train from Manchester to London.

The sales from the books have, according to unsubstantiated rumours, made her richer than Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Each book in the series chronicles one year in Harry's life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns Magic. Seven books are planned, each gradually a little darker than its predecessor as Harry ages and his nemesis, Lord Voldemort, gains power.

The books have been compared to Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, the novels of Diana Wynne Jones, and the works of Philip Pullman; they also fit into a British genre of novels about boarding school life, and the sections involving Potter's relatives the Dursleys remind some readers of Roald Dahl's works.

History of Egypt

2004-10-08T06:09:00.000-07:00

History of Egypt. It is time for the 3rd grade history unit on ancient Egypt at my school. All the books on the topic have been checked out and I am still finding material for the kiddies. This is a site with a broad overview of Egyptian history. Some of the students found it helpful.

From the site:

Egypt has endured as a unified state for more than 5,000 years, and archeological evidence indicates that a developed Egyptian society has existed for much longer. Egyptians take pride in their "pharaonic heritage" and in their descent from what they consider mankind's earliest civilization. The Arabic word for Egypt is Misr, which originally connoted "civilization" or "metropolis."

Archeological findings show that primitive tribes lived along the Nile long before the dynastic history of the pharaohs began. By 6000 B.C., organized agriculture had appeared.

In about 3100 B.C., Egypt was united under a ruler known as Mena, or Menes, who inaugurated the 30 pharaonic dynasties into which Egypt's ancient history is divided--the Old and the Middle Kingdoms and the New Empire. The pyramids at Giza (near Cairo), which were built in the fourth dynasty, testify to the power of the pharaonic religion and state. The Great Pyramid, the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu (also known as Cheops), is the only surviving monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ancient Egypt reached the peak of its power, wealth, and territorial extent in the period called the New Empire (1567-1085 B.C.).

Thinking Things: The Vikings

2004-10-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Thinking Things: The Vikings - An introductory look at the way of life in Viking times. Includes information on who the Vikings were, where they came from, where they traveled, and the heritage they left behind. Designed for second and third grade students.

From the site:

The Vikings were farmers.

When the farmer died the farm was passed to the oldest son in the family.

The Vikings had a lot of children! This meant that there were a lot of people which had to choose between being workers on their brother's farm or going over the seas in search of fame and fortune or new land.

Stories about how easy it was to get rich on such expeditions spread like wild fire over Scandinavia.

Miss Healey and Mrs. Zakowski's Kinder"Garden"

2004-10-04T05:48:00.000-07:00

Miss Healey and Mrs. Zakowski's Kinder"Garden" - Two teachers from Central Falls School District in Rhode Island provide links to their curriculum and activity ideas and links for parents, students and teachers.

From the site:

Come into our Kindergarten. We have a full day program in a school that has alot of old charm. Our corner room has a huge tree just outside the window. Often when I look out, I feel like we are in a tree house since the classroom is located on the second level.

Hope you have a nice visit and if you are a teacher, make sure that you visit the Themes and Book Ideas area. There are about 20 book ideas for early childhood educators.

Our class has a pet hamster so I developed a Pet Detective Webquest that I hope you will visit.

I'm very happy to be beginning another year. I have a new online project with 21 participants. It should be lots of fun!!!

Teaching about the U.S. Presidency

2004-10-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

Teaching about the U.S. Presidency. I think all of us are teaching our students one way or the other about the Presidency as the election draws closer. This essay has some good ideas for teaching about the hardest job in the world.

From the site:

Many consider the U.S. presidency to be the most powerful office in the world. What are its constitutional foundations? How has the role of the chief executive changed through the years? What World Wide Web resources are available for teaching about the U.S. presidency?

CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE PRESIDENCY.

The delegates to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, who framed the U.S. Constitution, brought with them various conceptions of executive power. Three questions dominated the framers' consideration of the role the executive would play in the new government. First, the delegates discussed whether the executive should be a single individual or whether multiple persons should share the office. Second, they considered at length the amount of power the executive should wield. And third, they debated the best means by which to elect the executive. Generally, deliberations on these questions involved the balance of power in the new government.

The framers feared that a powerful executive could usurp legislative authority and engage in tyrannical actions. The weak executives created by the state constitutions, however, proved unable to prevent state legislatures from trampling on the people's rights. The founding fathers sought to create a government in which, as James Madison explained in FEDERALIST 51, "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." Madison deemed a balance of power necessary, and he called for a governmental arrangement in which it would be in the best interest of all citizens to resist executive encroachment.